The Corrections Department has defended Bang Kwang Central Prison after it was ranked among the top 10 most dangerous prisons in the world, arguing the list was based on outdated and untrue information.
Department chief Kobkiat Kasiwat was quick to respond Thursday after the entertainment website, therichest.com, ranked Bang Kwang Central Prison in 7th place for its alleged harsh conditions and treatment of inmates, ranging from overcrowded cells to shackling prisoners.
The website is reputed to be a leading source of content on celebrities, money, global events, society, pop culture and sport. The article cited by the Corrections Department was dated three years ago, in April, 2014.
These pieces of information, now going viral on the internet, are false, Mr Kobkiat said, explaining they were based on recollections of former foreign convicts, at least one of which dated back to 1957.
These accounts of life behind bars were exaggerated, adapted and coloured to be material for novels, Mr Kobkiat said.
What is true is that Bang Kwang is one of Thailand's oldest prisons. The prison and the officers' treatment of inmates meet acceptable international standards, the department chief insisted.
Mr Kobkiat said all prisons in Thailand abolished in-prison shackles in 2013 and authorities only handcuff and shackle the feet of detainees when they are escorted to places outside the prison, such as court appearances. He said Bang Kwang is no longer used to house prisoners convicted of serious crimes.
The website ranked Alcatraz as the world's most notorious jail. This was another mistake, Mr Kobkiat said, because the US prison in San Fancisco Bay is no longer in use.
The list was made without checking what is actually happening now. The information provided by the website was untrue, Mr Kobkiat said.
"We maintain Thailand has followed [detention] United Nations standards," Mr Kobkiat said.
He insisted that Thailand has made progress in modernising and improving conditions inside prisons.